City To Evict And Remove Homeless Encampment From Manchester Street

The City of Manchester served notice to the people living in tents and temporary structures outside the Families In Transition shelter that they must vacate by today at 12:01 a.m.

The ACLU filed suit representing residents of the encampment citing the City of Manchester could not remove the people without permanent shelters for the people.

Superior Court Judge Kissinger heard the argument on Friday and the City of Manchester agreed to stop the eviction until a ruling was made.

Tuesday morning a ruling was issued by Judge Kissinger, the ruling sided with the City of Manchester and allows them to begin removing the people.

TO READ THE JUDGES RULING CLICK HERE

The City of Manchester issued a press release Tuesday afternoon citing everything they have done including spending millions of dollars on the situation.

The city's press release can be seen below:

Manchester Emergency Operations Center Updates

MANCHESTER, NH - Today, Hillsborough County Superior Court Judge John Kissinger ruled in favor of the City of Manchester, finding that “considering the grave risks to public health and safety posed by the ongoing presence of the encampment on public sidewalks in downtown Manchester and the availability of safe alternatives for the people living in the encampment, a temporary restraining order is not justified.”

The City is moving forward with its previously-announced plan to close the encampment on the sidewalks of Pine and Manchester Streets, tomorrow, January 18, 2023. Closing the sidewalk will require all individuals present at the encampment to vacate the area while public health and public safety issues are addressed.

Outreach teams began notifying individuals in the area on January 8th, 2023, and City and non-profit and faith-based partners have been conducting daily outreach, connecting individuals to shelter storage for belongings and other resources.

“City employees and non-profit partners have been working around the clock to ensure the health and safety of both the individuals experiencing homelessness in Manchester and the community at large and this morning, the Hillsborough County Superior Court acknowledged our progress and ruled in favor of our ability to continue this work,” said Mayor Joyce Craig.

“In addition to securing the area of Pine and Manchester Streets, the City of Manchester is moving forward on establishing a Women’s Shelter in partnership with the YWCA New Hampshire, opening an additional 24/7 winter emergency shelter, expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, and creating more permanent supportive housing options.”

The City of Manchester Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was opened on Friday, January 6th to serve as a consolidation point for the first responders and departments to facilitate decision-making to address unsheltered homelessness. Since opening, the City has:

• Partnered with the YWCA New Hampshire to open a new Women’s Shelter at the site of the vacant former Tirrell House.

• Established a temporary warming station with cots at the William B. Cashin Activity Center that has served 43 unique individuals experiencing homelessness.

• Launched the Manchester Winter Relief Fund, a fund through the Granite United Way to ensure services and shelter to unhoused individuals.

• Allocated $871,990 from the City’s remaining ARP, CDBG, and Affordable Housing Trust Fund dedicated to addressing unsheltered homelessness this winter.

These initiatives are in addition to the City’s continued work to address homelessness and housing insecurity, which include over $11,000,000 of federal funds allocated to supportive and affordable housing over the last two years, daily outreach to encampments by first responders and outreach workers, administering the state’s only Healthcare for the Homeless program, and more.